Last month I had the absolute pleasure of meeting the girls behind The Dinner Belle, a NYC based catering company whose clients range from Topshop to Stuart Weitzman to New Yorkers who just want to throw fabulous dinner parties. Not only are Kimberly and Erin catering powerhouses, but they are sweet and gorgeous to boot! A force to be reckoned with really- I know I’ll be recommending them to many a friend.

YMC: How did Dinner Belle start?

The Dinner Belles like to say that catering found them and not the other way around. Theirs, has from the beginning, been a business about saying “yes” and then figuring out how to get it done. Four years ago, Kimberly was working as a writing professor and Erin as a professional actress, when a friend asked the girls to cater an awards ceremony for the Life Earth Concert that had recently launched around the globe. With only a $1,000 budget and the requirement that the menu have a zero carbon foot print, the girls put together a local, seasonal feast at The United Nations that then landed them several admirers and future clients.  Asked for a business card, Kimberly thought about it for a moment before saying, “I just ran out, let me take your number.” From there the idea of forming an actual catering company was born.

YMC: What is one piece of advice you have for someone who wants to start out in the catering/event planning business?

Kimberly, in the role of Executive Chef, warns that catering is like cooking school boot camp.  She says, “Your predictions, expectations, recipes, menus and kitchen spaces are constantly in flux and you have to be able to roll with whatever you are thrown…be it ovens that don’t work, line chefs that call in sick, meringues that don’t rise, and the pickiest of eaters.  This kind of challenge is what makes catering rewarding when you pull it off and the ultimate adrenaline rush for any cook looking to get their hands dirty.”

Erin, from an Event Planner point of view, cannot stress enough the importance of being organized and keeping lists for everything. She exclaims, “You’d be amazed at the amount of tiny details that add up to make an event, many of which are up in the air until hours before the event.  Clients change their minds all the time, and almost always want to get more for less, so you have to be a good negotiator as well as someone who can keep the client happy, staff happy, kitchen happy and hold all of the pieces together for a flawless event.”

Both girls agree that starting a business with someone you trust is essential.  The Belles are lucky to be both business partners and best friends and have brought a number of young, talented, ambitious women into the fold along with them.  They advise, “To love what you do, you have to really like who you work with.”

YMC: What is your favorite menu for entertaining?

Come summer, The Dinner Belle loves catering a Mexican Fiesta for any size crowd. Mexican appeals to all palettes whether it’s grilled elotes callejeros, their signature chocolate chipolte short rib tacos, or even a classic guacamole spiked with Blanco tequila and sweet mango. Of course, they encourage guests to wash it all down with one of their two specialty margaritas: The Spicy Pepino or a Blood Orange libation, and if you’re feeling adventurous, they suggest a Cacha-spiked Avocado Popsicle for dessert!

YMC: What can you tell us about the new charity that Dinner Belle is cooking up?

The Dinner Belle is proud to donate their services to worthy causes and events they’ve been able to collaborate on.  In the past they’ve auctioned off dinner parties and cooking lessons, donating all proceeds to the given cause.  Some charities they’ve supported in the past have been: The Stephen Siller FDNY Children’s Foundation to honor the legacy of a firefighter who sacrificed his life on 9/11 helping to save victims at the WTC sight, and The Chez Panisse Foundation, which envisions a school curriculum and school lunch program where growing, cooking, and sharing food at the table, gives students the knowledge and values to build a humane and sustainable future.  Both are causes close to the Belles’ hearts.

YMC: Any funny stories that you can share with us?

Some of The Dinner Belle’s funniest moments have centered around events at Topshop, a loyal client for over 3 years. As Erin tells it, “Perhaps the most notable was a Black Friday British breakfast buffet event for 300 shoppers the day after Thanksgiving.  I was home with family in Connecticut, unable to work the event, so Kimberly and a small team of Dinner Belle staffers were set to handle the job solo, but alas, the early morning wake up call proved problematic…” Find the rest of the story here…

The Dinner Belle is currently taking bookings for the summer season and are offering an incentive to all new customers who book for June and July- complimentary gift boxed edibles for your guests to take home and enjoy. Past items have been strawberry shortcakes, brown butter blueberry muffins, and bacon chocolate chip cookies!

Find The Dinner Belle here and Kimberly and Erin’s daily musings on the blog!